10 de fevereiro de 2011

by Richard Branson
So you have an idea for a business - one that you believe has the potential to alter the industry. You have put together a simple, straightforward proposition that potential customers find easy to understand. You have raised the necessary capital, gathered a team and publicised your new venture by every means available. What happens next?
It's time to deliver on your promises. And the only difference between merely satisfactory delivery and great delivery is attention to detail.
Anyone who aspires to lead a company must develop a habit of taking notes. I carry a notebook everywhere I go. Most of my entries are like this one, from a Virgin Atlantic flight years ago: "Dirty carpets. Fluff. Areas around bow dirty. Equipment: Stainless steel, grotty. Choice of menu disappointing - back from Miami, prawns then lobster (as a main course) in Upper Class. Chicken curry very bland. Chicken should be cut in chunks. Rice pretty dry. No Stilton available on cheeseboard."
What's most revealing is this final note: "Staff desperate for someone to listen. Make sure flight staff reports are actioned IMMEDIATELY."
I'm pleased to say that they now are. This is the real key to getting all the other items on the list done - employees are better able to report problems and get them fixed before I come along with my notebook.
And as you decide how best to deliver your product or service, keep in mind the company's core business values, the medium-term strategic considerations and where the industry is headed in the long term. Make your decisions on the micro level in light of that bigger picture, and your business should be headed in the right direction.
This problem-solving process should not be limited to the launch. Owners and leaders of established companies should sample their business products as often as possible. Many bosses regularly speak to staff at all levels, but often they do not follow up on problems they uncover. This means that their employees never learn what importance the CEO places on getting the details right, or see just how necessary and possible it is to address the everyday problems that come up.
If you foster a corporate culture of waiting for someone else to solve problems, the company will suffer the consequences.